Do you like Chinese takeout? Well, how about beer? At TheDC, we like to mix them in our mouths. Some call that gross, we call it pairing. And on April 22, if you’re in the ‘hood (that is to say, the District of Columbia), you can join us and the gang from Brooklyn Brewery in our shared quest for palate-pleasing sophistication.
That’s right — the folks from Brooklyn Brewery are dropping by the District on their international food-challenge and beer tour. So anyone who is hanging around, feel free head down to the Rock N Roll Hotel on H Street. And by anyone, we mean anyone. Brooklyn Brewery has opened up the hall to the great unwashed masses: “Anyone can compete! Anyone can attend! And anyone can win! Sharpen your knives, America! This is a call to all amateur chefs looking to be named the next cook-off king or queen of D.C.”
Oh, did we mention this is a competition? Yeah. Chinese Takeout Experiment is a blood sport pitting amateur chefs against two chefs — Theo Peck and Nick Suarez, a former tasting editor at Wine Spectator. The crowd and a panel will work together to choose who wins … and who dies.
Plus, the winner goes onto the next round in NYC. “As long as it’s available at your local Chinese restaurant,” Brooklyn says, “it can represent. You may never look at Chinese food the same.”
And in honor of this upcoming War of the Gargantuas, TheDC is going to crush on some Brooklyn Summer Ale.
Brooklyn Brewery Summer Ale
This is a damn good summer beer. First off, even if it wasn’t — which it is — TheDC would give Brooklyn Brewery credit for shrugging off that annoying summer tradition of brewing weak wheat beers that need lemon to swallow, and made themselves an English Pale Ale. Yum.
This brew starts off with a moderate, white, creamy head, settling over the golden-wheat coloring.
The nose is a great place to start. Sweet and fruity, with hints of citrus, it smells like summer loving. No, not the condoms under the boardwalk — we’re talking Olivia Newton John roller-blading into the ice cream shop.
The taste hits with a good burn — a lemon sting on the tip of the tongue with a sweet aftertaste. Not a rollercoaster of flavor — a light and refreshing beer, perfect for chilling and grilling.
Would we mix it in our mouth with Chinese food? Yes, yes we would. Even the girl from California said she would: “Sounds great …”
But in all seriousness, we probably would. And if we weren’t, we’d drink it with fish and chips.
The Brooklyn Brewery Summer Ale is brewed with 100 percent British malts, plus German and American hops. It weighs in at 5 percent alcohol and 18 IBU. We picked it up for 8.99 a six-pack of bottles, but you can get it anyways you like: in a can, on tap, in a cask or from a growler.